You’ve seen it thousands of times. It’s on porch steps, Olympic jerseys, and the moon. But if I asked you right now to close your eyes and tell me how many white stripes on American flag displays actually exist, could you do it?
Most people guess wrong. They say seven. Or they say six, then change their mind because they’re thinking of the red ones.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a trick question for the brain. We see the pattern—red, white, red, white—and our mind just fills in the blanks. But the official design isn't just a random choice by a seamstress in Philadelphia. Every single line has a job to do. Specifically, there are six white stripes on the American flag.
Six. That's it.
They sit sandwiched between seven red stripes to make the thirteen we all learned about in grade school. If you had seven white stripes, the edges of the flag would be white, and it would basically disappear against a cloudy sky or a white wall. The red stripes bookend the design, starting and ending the sequence, which is why the math works out the way it does.
The Math Behind the Six White Stripes
It’s about the thirteen original colonies. You know the list: Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Georgia.
When the Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution of 1777, they were surprisingly vague. They said the flag should have thirteen stripes, alternating red and white. They didn’t actually specify which color should go first. Imagine being a flag maker in 1777. You’re just winging it. Some early versions actually started with a white stripe at the top.
Eventually, the "Red Top/Red Bottom" look became the standard. Why? Visibility.
If you’re on a ship in the middle of a foggy Atlantic morning, you need to see that banner. Red stands out. White bleeds into the horizon. By having seven red stripes and six white ones, the flag maintains a "hard edge" that's easier to spot from a distance.
Why We Keep Forgetting the Count
Human psychology is weird. We tend to focus on the "total" rather than the components. We remember "13 stripes" because that’s the historical nugget drilled into our heads. Because 13 is an odd number, the colors can't be equal.
One color has to "win" by one.
In the case of the U.S. flag, red wins 7 to 6. It’s a simple ratio, but it’s one that people mess up constantly in drawings, tattoos, and—hilariously—cheaply made imports. I’ve seen flags at dollar stores with eight red stripes and five white ones. I’ve seen some that look like a candy cane gone wrong.
The configuration matters because of the "union"—that blue box in the corner. The blue canton rests on the fourth white stripe from the bottom. Or, if you’re looking from the top, it covers the first seven stripes (four red, three white). If you change the number of white stripes, the whole geometry of the blue field gets wonky.
Evolution of the Stripe
It wasn't always this way. For a brief, chaotic moment in American history, we actually added stripes.
When Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union in the 1790s, the government figured, "Hey, let's just add a stripe for everyone!" They moved to 15 stripes. That’s the flag Francis Scott Key saw over Fort McHenry. That's the "Star-Spangled Banner."
If they had kept that up, the flag would look like a barcode today.
By 1818, Congress realized they were headed for a visual disaster. They went back to the original thirteen stripes—six white, seven red—and decided that only the stars would increase as new states joined. This saved the aesthetic. It kept the "six white stripes" rule permanent.
Technical Specs You Never Knew
The U.S. government actually has a "recipe" for the flag. It’s called Executive Order 10834, signed by President Eisenhower in 1959. It dictates the exact proportions.
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The stripes aren't just "whatever fits." Each stripe is exactly 1/13th of the total hoist (the height) of the flag. If you’re making a flag that is 10 feet tall, each white stripe must be exactly 0.769 feet wide.
And the colors? They aren't just "red" and "white."
- The white is actually "Cheshire White."
- The red is "Old Glory Red" (Standard Color Card of America, No. 70180).
- The blue is "Old Glory Blue" (No. 70075).
If you use a bright, neon white or a dull cream, it’s technically not the "official" color of the United States. While the average person buying a flag for their porch doesn't care about Pantone matching, the Department of Defense absolutely does.
Real-World Blunders
Even the pros get it wrong. In 2018, during a visit to a children’s hospital, a very high-profile photo went viral because a certain politician was caught coloring a flag and accidentally colored one of the white stripes blue.
It happens.
We are so used to the image that we stop looking at it. Architects and graphic designers often struggle with the "short stripes" (the ones next to the blue) versus the "long stripes" (the ones at the bottom).
There are three white stripes in the "short" section and three white stripes in the "long" section. Totaling six.
If you ever see a flag where a white stripe is at the very top or the very bottom, it’s either a historical replica of a specific regional militia flag or, more likely, it was made by someone who didn't check the 1818 Flag Act.
Symbolism of the White
We know the stripes represent the colonies. But what about the color itself?
According to the Continental Congress, white stands for purity and innocence. Red stands for hardiness and valor.
It’s a bit poetic, honestly. The "innocence" of the white stripes is literally surrounded and protected by the "valor" of the red ones. Whether you buy into the 18th-century symbolism or not, the visual balance works. The white provides the negative space that allows the red to pop and the blue to feel deep and heavy.
Common Misconceptions
People often ask if the white stripes represent the "peaceful" colonies and the red ones represent the "bloody" ones. No. There’s no evidence for that.
Another weird myth is that the number of white stripes changed during the Civil War. Nope. Even though the country was literally tearing itself apart, the flag remained technically the same in the North, and the Southern "Stars and Bars" was a completely different design (though it also used a red-white-red scheme).
There’s also a common mistake where people think the number of white stripes equals the number of stars in a row. It doesn't. The stars are in a totally different mathematical grid that has shifted dozens of times over 200 years. The stripes? They’ve been locked at six white and seven red for over two centuries.
How to Check Your Flag
If you want to be "that person" at the 4th of July party, here is how you audit a flag for accuracy:
- Count the edges. Is the top stripe red? Is the bottom stripe red? If yes, proceed.
- Check the blue box. Does the bottom of the blue "union" rest on a white stripe? (It should be the 4th white stripe).
- Count the gaps. There should be exactly six white bands.
If it fails any of these, you’re looking at a "stylized" version, or just a poorly made one.
Actionable Steps for Flag Etiquette and Accuracy
If you are displaying the flag or using it in a design project, getting the stripe count right is the bare minimum of respect for the design. Here is how to ensure you're always accurate:
- Purchase from FMAA Certified Manufacturers: The Flag Manufacturers Association of America ensures that flags are not only made in the U.S. but follow the exact proportions of Executive Order 10834.
- Design with the 1/13 Rule: If you are a graphic artist, do not "eye-ball" the stripes. Divide your canvas height by 13. Create 13 rectangles. Color the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th red. The rest are your six white stripes.
- Orientation Check: When hanging the flag vertically (like against a wall), the blue union should always be at the top and to the observer's left. In this position, the stripes still flow in the same order, starting with red on the far left.
- Retirement: If you find your flag has faded so much that the white stripes look gray or the red stripes look pink, it’s time to retire it. Most American Legion posts or Boy Scout troops offer dignified flag disposal (burning) ceremonies.
Understanding the layout of the flag is more than just trivia. It’s about recognizing the intentionality behind the symbols we live with every day. Next time you see the stars and stripes, you won't just see a red-white-and-blue blur. You'll see seven red stripes of valor and those six white stripes of purity, exactly as they were meant to be since 1818.
To keep your flag looking its best, ensure it is made of nylon or polyester if kept outdoors; cotton flags are beautiful but will cause the white stripes to yellow quickly when exposed to rain and pollutants. Regular cleaning with mild soap can preserve that "Cheshire White" for years.